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Jumping spider interesting facts. Spider jumping

Domain: Eukaryotes

Kingdom: Animals

Type: Arthropods

Class: Arachnids

Squad: Spiders

Family: Spiders — horses

Where do jumping spiders live?

They can be found everywhere. The most common habitats are tropical forests, semi-deserts, deserts and mountains.

In 1975, one of the species of these spiders was first discovered on the top of Everest! The common jumping spider loves to bask in the sun, so it can often be found on brick walls. And what’s more: be prepared to encounter jumping spiders even in the garden! In the grass, on the soil, on trees and rocks - they are waiting for you everywhere!

Description of appearance

The jumping spider, or jumping spider (Salticidae), belongs to the family of araneomorphic spiders. This family is represented by more than 5,000 species, and according to the scientific classification, it belongs to the fairly extensive subkingdom Eumetazoa.

Jumping spiders can have a wide variety of colors, and quite often imitate their appearance ant, beetle and false scorpion . The first half of the cephalothorax is strongly raised, and the posterior part is flattened. The sides of the cephalothorax are steep. The separation of the head and chest is usually ensured by a shallow and transverse groove. Bimodal respiratory system represented by the lungs and trachea.

The jumping spider is characterized by the presence of eight eyes, which are arranged in three rows. The first row has four large eyes occupying the front part of the head. The anterior medial very large eyes are characterized by mobility. Eyes allow spiders to distinguish the shape of an object and its color.

The eyes of the second row are represented by a pair of very small eyes, and in the third row there are two rather large eyes, which are located at the corners of the border of the head with chest part. With the help of these eyes, the spider is provided with a view of almost 360 degrees.

The special structure of the eye retina makes it possible to extremely accurately determine the distance to any object.

Common types

Jumping spiders in natural conditions are represented by several species that differ in appearance, size and distribution area:

elegant golden The jumping spider lives in the south-east of Asian countries, and is characterized by a long abdominal part and a large first pair of legs. The body has a very peculiar golden color. The length of the male rarely exceeds 76 mm, and the females are larger;

Himalayan the species is distinguished by its tiny size and is distributed high above sea level, in the Himalayas, where its only prey is random small insects that are blown onto mountain slopes by strong gusts of wind;

green jumping spider lives in Queensland, New Guinea and New South Wales. It is quite common in Western Australia, where it is among the most large spiders. The male is very brightly colored, and his body is decorated with long whitish “whiskers”;

redback species The jumping spider prefers to settle in relatively dry areas and is often found on coastal dunes or oak forests. forest areas North America, where it is one of the largest jumping spiders. A peculiarity of this species is the ability to build tubular-type silk nests under stones, wood and on the surface of the vine;

species Hyllus Diardi has a body up to 1.3 cm long. Along with other types of jumping spiders, it is not capable of building a web, therefore, to catch prey, it attaches a silk thread to some support and then jumps from such a kind of “bungee” onto its victim;

ant jumping spider perfectly imitates an ant in its appearance and is most often found in tropical zones from Africa to central Australia. Body coloration can vary from black to yellowish shades.

The most interesting is the royal type of jumping spider. This is the largest representative of the jumping spiders in North America. Males have a body length of 1.27 cm, and the length of females can reach 1.52 cm.

The male's body is black and has a characteristic pattern of white spots and stripes. The coloration of the female's body is most often represented by grayish and orange shades.

Behavior

The jumping spider prefers to lead a solitary lifestyle. He hunts only in daytime, spending the night in a secluded shelter, which is most often a crack in a tree or a crevice in a rock. At night he weaves himself a cradle, in which he sleeps sweetly until the morning. In inclement weather, he can spend several days there, patiently waiting for more suitable conditions for hunting.

Having left the shelter early in the morning, the spider first basks in the sun and, only after being well warmed up, goes fishing. Horses are distinguished by their innate courage and run away only in exceptional cases, constantly turning their heads and looking back at the pursuer.

Well-developed limbs allow them not only to run fast, but also to tirelessly make jumps that are approximately 20 times their body size. Before each jump, the spider attaches a safety thread to the substrate to avoid an accidental fall.

Binocular vision allows him to very accurately determine the distance to the landing site, so unsuccessful jumps are extremely rare. In flight, the spider always extends its forelimbs forward, which in males are much better developed than in females.

The spider notices the slightest movement around itself thanks to three pairs of eyes located on the sides of the cephalothorax. Having noticed the victim with their help, he slowly turns his head towards her.

Two large front eyes accurately determine the distance. Next, the predator slowly creeps up on the prey from the side or behind. Having gotten close enough, he makes a lightning-fast jump with his legs widely spaced. The first pair of limbs tightly grabs the victim, and the chelicerae pierce the chitinous cover, injecting a dose of poison and digestive juices into its body.

The poison acts very quickly on insects, but is completely harmless to humans. Digestive juices soon turn the insides of the prey into a liquid pulp, which the spider drinks with appetite. The diet of jumping spiders includes flies, mosquitoes, bugs and ants. They spend the winter safely hidden in a secluded shelter.

What does it eat?

All representatives of this family hunt during the day. The jumping spider feeds on flies, mosquitoes, spiders, beetles and other small insects. The hunting techniques of most spiders are similar: they spin a strong web and wait for the prey to fall into the web. The jumping spider has excellent object vision, so it tracks down its prey itself.

Slowly and very carefully he moves towards the victim. Last centimeters the spider overcomes with a lightning-fast leap and grabs the prey with its front paws. He pierces the integument of her body with chelicerae and injects poison. Before each jump, he uses a spider thread as insurance, having previously attached it to a plant. If a jumping spider does not correctly calculate the distance to the victim, then it will simply hang on the web, which, by the way, is stronger in tension than steel of the same thickness.

Reproduction

IN mating season, which begins in May and lasts until September, males attract females with a mating dance. This ritual is the same for all types of jumping spiders. This action looks like this: the male raises his body and hits it several times with a certain periodicity with the front pair of limbs.

If several “admirers” gather near the female, then, as a rule, they do not arrange a battle. Spiders show each other their pedipalps, and the one with the largest remains. The winner returns to performing the mating dance and describes intricate circles around his chosen one.

The female attracted in this way allows herself to be fertilized, after which she immediately hides in a shelter and immediately begins weaving a nest. She constructs a cradle for masonry from her silk threads, and it can be placed in any secluded place: under leaf litter, in a crack in a tree, between stones and even in the substrate.

Having laid eggs, the female remains in the nest and waits for the offspring to be born. As soon as the spiderlings get out of the silk cocoon, the female horse immediately leaves. The young start hunting immediately - this instinct is inherent in representatives of this species of spiders with early childhood. Before turning into adults, young spiderlings molt several times, after which they repeat the reproduction cycle of their species.

Importance in the ecosystem

Horses are excellent orderlies of vegetable gardens and orchards. They hunt pests, so they help gardeners keep their garden intact. Thanks to their help, you will have to spray your beds a couple of times less!

They are very peaceful animals and will never bite a person. Horses are also very curious: if you meet this friend while he is basking in the sun on the wall of the house, you will notice that his eyes are turned towards you. He will watch you with his eyes for a long time and tirelessly.

These spiders are absolutely safe for humans, so they can be safely picked up, and even more than that, they can be fed to plant aphids using tweezers!

Several major groups of arachnids are excellent for keeping indoors, including the jumping spider, orb-weaving spider, and wolf spider. Ant jumping spiders are most often chosen as pets. Their uncanny resemblance to weaver ants, known for their sharp teeth and aggression, allows jumping spiders to avoid danger that may await them in the wild. natural conditions a habitat.

The homeland of the ant jumping spider is represented by countries South-East Asia, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam, so this for a pet container maintenance and an optimal microclimate should be ensured in compliance with comfortable temperature and humidity.

Feeding rules

The main food of spiders in natural conditions is live insects of a suitable size. Experienced owners of such unusual pets advise using crickets or fruit flies crushed to a dusty state to feed the jumping spider. Plant black and green aphids can be used to feed some species. During the feeding process, the feeding area must be provided with high-quality artificial lighting with fluorescent lamps.

The jumping spider is considered one of the most intelligent representatives of arthropods, due to the size of its brain. It is quite difficult to purchase such a spider in our country, but it is quite possible from lovers of exotic arthropods who breed them at home. average cost adult varies depending on the type, but most often does not exceed a couple of thousand rubles .

Males sometimes perform a mating dance even in front of their reflection.
Individuals have the best object vision among spiders. They are probably able to distinguish colors.
The family includes more than three thousand species of spiders that are found throughout the world. Most of these spiders live in tropical areas, some are found in the temperate zone. Representatives of the family even live in Arctic regions.

Only a few people like spiders. These little creatures are often described as "disgusting", "disgusting" or "creepy", but in reality they are absolutely not deserving of such bad reputation. Most spiders are completely harmless to people. Moreover, many of them are beneficial to humans because they destroy pests in our homes and gardens. If we still can't convince you to stop hating these tiny creatures, then the twenty-five adorable spiders we'll tell you about below will convince you that even spiders can be cute, or at least entertaining.

25. Elegant Golden jumping spider

Found in Southeast Asia, this species of jumping spider is known for its long abdomen, long first pair of legs, and unique coloring. Males typically reach only about 0.76 centimeters in length, females are slightly larger.

24. Bird dung crab spider masquerading as bird droppings)

This spider is notable for its unique method of camouflage. Its body is covered with growths and warts that give it the appearance of a piece of fresh bird droppings. The spider enhances its imitation of bird droppings by drawing its legs closer to its body and lying motionless on a leaf for many hours.

23. Spiny orb weaver

This spider gets its name from the noticeably prominent spines on its abdomen. These spiders, which reach more than 2.5 centimeters in diameter (measured from spine to spine), are generally harmless to humans.

22. Smiling spider

The body length of this spider is only 0.5 centimeters. It is notable for the fact that on its yellow body there is a clearly visible pattern resembling a smiling emoticon. The smiling spider is endemic to Oahu, Molokai, Maui and the island of Hawaii, where it lives in tropical forests at an altitude of 304 – 1981 meters.

21. Diving bell spider

This species of spider, best known as the water spider, is the only one known on this moment spiders that spend their entire lives underwater. Like other spiders, it breathes air, which it collects in a bladder held by hairs on its abdomen and legs. Males of this species are approximately 30 percent larger than females, which is quite unusual for spiders.

20. Himalayan jumping spider

The Himalayan jumping spider is a tiny spider that lives high in the Himalayas. These spiders have been found at altitudes exceeding 6,705 meters above sea level. Its only source of food at such extreme altitudes is random insects blown onto the mountain slopes by the wind.

19. Arrowhead spider

This spider is a brightly colored arachnid whose legspan is only 2.5 centimeters. These tiny creatures, completely harmless to humans, can be found in spring, summer and autumn. They hide in low shrubs about 60 to 90 centimeters above the ground in woodlands, wetlands, gardens and grassy marshes.

18. Argiope Brunnich or wasp spider (Wasp spider)

Like all orb-weaving spiders, this spider is not poisonous. Wasp spiders weave their webs between grass at a height of up to 30 centimeters. Adult females are much larger than males.

17. Blond's theraphosis or Goliath bird eating spider

The goliath tarantula is the second largest spider in size (after the giant huntsman spider), based on its leg span, but based on body mass, it is the largest in the world. Despite its name, the spider does not usually eat birds; it feeds on insects. It is poisonous, but its venom is relatively harmless and its effects are comparable to a wasp sting.

16. Green jumping spider

Found in Queensland, New Guinea, New South Wales, the Northern Territory and Western Australia, this species is one of the largest jumping spiders. Males are strikingly brightly colored and adorned with long white whiskers.

15. Golden orb-weaving spider (Writing spider)

Commonly found in most of Central America and the Antilles regions (from Mexico to Panama), this species is distinguished by its bright, rich belly colors. Females are three to four times larger than males. Their leg span can reach more than 12 centimeters.

14. Ladybug mimic spider

These spiders are thought to imitate ladybugs because ladybugs are not palatable to birds and other predators and are generally avoided by predators. Despite its adorable appearance, this little creature actually belongs to a group that includes tarantulas and black widows.

13. Red-backed jumping spider

Found in relatively dry environments such as coastal dunes or oak woodlands of western North America, the red-backed jumping spider is one of the largest and most commonly found jumping spiders. This species builds conspicuous tubular silken nests on the ground under rocks and pieces of wood and sometimes on vines.

12. Mason spider or trapdoor spider

Mason spiders are notable for their unique hunting technique. These medium-sized spiders build burrows with a trapdoor-like door, which they usually make from soil, vegetation and silk, and then wait halfway out of the burrow for their prey.

11. Hyllus Diardi jumping spider (Heavy jumping spider)

Like other jumping spiders, this species does not build webs. Instead, it hunts on the move, attaching a silk thread to some support before "bungee jumping" onto a suitable prey. The body length of this spider reaches 1.27 centimeters.

10. Peacock spider

This species of spider, whose habitat is limited to certain areas of Australia, is one of the most colorful and vibrant. Males, colored in bright shades of red, blue and black, have a trap-like appendage on their abdomen with white hairs that they can lower down. They use it to attract females during mating season.

9. Ogre-faced spider

These spiders, which live almost throughout the world in the tropics, got their name due to the supposed similarity of their appearance to the appearance of mythological creature, ogre. Spiders make a web that they suspend between their front legs and when prey approaches, they extend the web to two or three times its original size and throw it over the prey.

8. Tree stump spider

This type of spider, living in South America, famous for his paunch unusual shape, which looks like a growing branch. This feature is likely used either as a hunting method or as cover from predators.

7. Ant – mimic jumping spider

Ant-mimicking spiders are primarily found in the tropics from Africa to Australia, and some species are also found in the New World. Their color varies from black to yellow, depending on what type of ant they imitate. One African species of spider imitates one species of ant when immature and a completely different species as an adult.

6. Long-horned orb-weaver

Orb-weaving spiders are three-clawed, flat web builders with a sticky spiral of silk to capture prey. As a rule, in the evening, the spider eats the old web, rests for about an hour, and then spins a new web in the same place.

5. Australian garden orb weaver

These spiders, which can be found throughout the coastal regions of Australia's eastern states, are notable for their ability to change their color with each molt to better match the background in which they rest during the day.

4. Wide – jawed viciria

This spider lives in garden foliage and the wastelands of Singapore and Indonesia. Both sexes reach approximately 0.76 - 1.27 centimeters in length. Vitsiriya is a colorful member of the jumping spider family.

3. Sequined spider

This spider, also known as the Australian stained glass spider, is found in all Australian states. These spiders are one of the smallest species. The body length of males is approximately 0.3 centimeters, and females - 0.4 centimeters.

2. Eight-spotted crab spider

Discovered in Singapore in 1924, this spider species is one of the most colorful. Its body length is approximately 2.5 centimeters, and it is also one of the largest species of sidewalk spiders.

1. Regal jumping spider

The royal jumping spider is the most major representative jumping spiders in North America. The male's body length is 1.27 centimeters, and the female's is 1.52 centimeters. Males and females are easy to distinguish. Males are always black with a pattern of white spots and stripes. Females often have a similar pattern. However, they vary in color and range from shades of gray to bright orange.

Spiders are arthropods that belong to the class of arachnids. Representatives of this class, today, there are about 40 thousand species. They differ from each other in their way of life, appearance, and type of nutrition. In nature there are a wide variety of types of spiders: the smallest and most harmless spiders (0.37 mm), as well as the most dangerous spiders and even the most poisonous spiders in the world (up to 25 cm). And in this article we will tell you about several amazing and interesting species.

Tarantula spider – Theraphosidae

The tarantula spider is perhaps the most big spider in the world, or rather the family of tarantula spiders (Theraphosidae). Some members of this family can reach 30.5 cm in leg span, such as the king baboon, black tarantula and purple tarantula. The body of tarantulas is always densely covered with long and short hairs. Body color can be either gray-brown or bright colors(red, blue, red). Tarantulas live in countries with hot climates (Africa, South America, Oceania, Australia). These spiders inhabit abandoned nests of birds and rodents or dig holes near tree trunks. They are active mainly in the evening. Then they go hunting or catch a prey running nearby. Tarantulas feed on insects, small birds and rodents. These spiders breed in late summer. The female lays eggs in a cobweb cocoon, which she carries with her and does not lose sight of. They protect the offspring, so that the spiderlings that emerge from the cocoon sit on the mother’s abdomen for some time. But soon they begin to lead independent life. The tarantula's venom paralyzes the victim and decomposes its entrails, then the spider sucks out the contents of the victim's body. For humans, the tarantula's venom is not dangerous, but quite painful. The bite site bakes, hurts and swells, sometimes becomes yellow. But these symptoms go away after a few weeks.

Cross spider – Araneus

Crossworts are members of the orb weaver family (Araneidae). They belong to the contract web spiders. They have an egg-shaped convex abdomen, on which there is a pattern in the form of a cross. Body color ranges from gray to red. They are covered with long bristles, sparsely distributed throughout the body and densely covered with short, thin hairs. Body length in males is 10-11 mm, in females – 17-40 mm. About 30 species of crosses live in the CIS and Russia. These spiders are active in the evening. They deftly weave webs that catch many small insects. Mating and egg laying occurs in the fall. The female lays eggs in a web cocoon and hides it under the bark or other secluded place. In the spring, spiderlings emerge from the cocoon. By the end of summer, a new generation of spiders grows up, and their mother dies. The cross spider is poisonous, but it is not dangerous to humans. Its bite is painful, but the burning and swelling at the site of the bite goes away after a few hours.

Karakurt spider - Latrodectus tredecimguttatus

This is not a large black spider at all. The body of the female (10-20 mm) is completely black, which is why she is also called a black widow, the body of the male (4-7 mm) is also black, but with bright red spots on the abdomen (usually 13 spots ). The karakurt spider lives in the territory Central Asia, Iran, Afghanistan, on the shores Mediterranean Sea, in North Africa, Southern Europe, Kazakhstan, southern Russia and Ukraine. They prefer the slopes of ravines, virgin wormwood, wastelands, and the banks of irrigation ditches. Karakurts inhabit abandoned rodent burrows and ventilation systems, entwining the entrance with cobwebs. In such dens, females and males mate at the end of summer. The female lays her eggs in a cocoon of cobwebs and hangs it in her den. In spring, spiderlings emerge from cocoons. Karakurts feed on small insects. Their venom is toxic to large animals and people. There is a burning sensation and swelling at the site of the bite. After 10-15 minutes, the poison spreads throughout the body and the person experiences pain in the chest and abdominal area. Dizziness, nausea, sweating, rapid heartbeat, and delirium also occur. And if you don’t provide it in time medical care, death is possible (in most cases). Karakurt bites through the skin only 0.5 mm, so it is recommended to cauterize the bite site with a lit match within 2 minutes after the bite.

White karakurt - Latrodectus pallidus

Image of white karakurt

This is a white spider long legs and a round belly. The abdomen is white or milky in color, with 4 indentations. The legs and cephalothorax are yellow or light brown. White spider has a body 10-20 mm long. Females are larger than males. White spiders weave a web in the shape of a cone, which is connected to a trapping net. They live in North Africa, the Middle East, Iran, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan. The white karakurt spider is not aggressive, but its poison is toxic and can cause complications. Children and the elderly are most susceptible to the effects of the poison. Toxicological studies have shown that the poison of the white karakurt is similar to the poison of the karakurt (Latrodectus tredecimtugattus). If you are bitten by this spider, you should consult a doctor.

Camel spider - Camel spider

The camel spider has many names: phalanges, bihors, salpugs, barbers, barbers, wind scorpion. The body (5-7 cm) is slightly oblong, light and dark red, densely covered with long, thin hairs. The camel spider's body shape is similar to a scorpion, especially with its chelicerae (claws). With them he is able to bite through a human nail and even small bird bones. He also uses his chelicerae to trim hairs and feathers from his victims and place them in his home. The camel spider lives in the desert regions of Asia, Africa, America, and Europe. Phalanx spider is a nocturnal predator. It is practically omnivorous and carnivorous, feeding on various insects, rodents, and lizards. Camel spiders have eyes like scorpions: 2 compound eyes in the middle and one on each side of the cephalothorax. Compound eyes are highly responsive to movement, so these spiders are incredibly fast, up to 53 cm/s (1.9 km/h).
The camel spider is not poisonous, but it does have an incredibly painful bite. And also on its chelicerae the remains of the tissues of the previous victim can rot, which can cause serious inflammation.

Jumping spiders – Salticidae

Jumping spiders or jumping spiders are a family of araneomorphic spiders that includes 610 genera and 5,800 species. They live in tropical forests, deserts, semi-deserts, temperate forests and mountains. These are small spiders, up to 2 cm long. The body is pubescent. These spiders have well-developed vision. They have 8 eyes, thanks to which they see 360º degrees. Jumping spiders differ from each other in body shape, color and range. There are the following types of jumping spiders:
- the golden jumping spider lives in the south-east of Asian countries, and is characterized by a long abdominal part and a large first pair of legs. The body has a very peculiar golden color. The length of the male rarely exceeds 76 mm, and the females are larger;

- Himalayan jumping spiders are the smallest spiders. They live high above sea level, in the Himalayas, where their only prey is the occasional small insect that gets blown onto the mountain slopes strong wind;

- The green jumping spider lives in New Guinea, New South Wales and Queensland. Often found in Western Australia. The male has a very bright color, and his body is decorated with long “whiskers” white;

- The red-backed species of jumping spider settles in relatively dry areas. The red spider is often found on coastal dunes or oak woodlands in North America. These red spiders are unique in that they are able to build tube-like silken nests under rocks and on the surface of vines;

- the species Hyllus Diardi has a body up to 1.3 cm long. Compared to other types of jumping spiders, it does not weave a web, therefore, to catch prey, it attaches a silk thread to some support, and then jumps from such a peculiar “bungee” onto its victim;

- the ant jumping spider looks very similar to an ant and is most often found in tropical zones from Africa to central Australia. Body color can vary from light yellow to black.

Jumping spiders are unique in that they can jump on long distances(20 times their body size). Before jumping, they cling to the substrate with a web (thus securing their jump), then push their body out with their hind legs. Jumping spiders are absolutely harmless to humans. They have poison, but it has no effect on humans, and their bite is almost painless.

Argiope bruennichi or spider wasp - Argiope bruennichi

Argiope has the second name of the wasp spider, since the color of the body and the shape of the abdomen resemble a wasp. Body length 2-3 cm (leg span). The abdomen is elongated with bright stripes, the predominant colors are yellow, white, and black. The legs are long, thin, and mostly in an X-shaped position. The spider wasp lives in Kazakhstan, Asia Minor, Central Asia, China, Korea, India and Japan, North Africa, Southern and Central Europe, Crimea, and the Caucasus. These spiders are also found quite often in Russia. Argiope belongs to the spiders of the orb-weaving spider family (Araneidae). It is typical for these spiders to weave a wheel-shaped web, and have a stabilimentum (zigzag pattern) in the center. This is a forest spider. It very often settles on lawns, forests, gardens, tall grass, between tree branches. The wasp spider feeds on various insects. Mating occurs after the female has moulted, while her body remains soft. The female lays eggs in a large cocoon (outwardly resembling a plant seed pod) and places it next to the hunting web. The spiderlings emerge from the cocoon at the beginning of autumn and settle downwind on cobwebs. The wasp spider is not dangerous to humans. Its venom may only cause slight redness, swelling and pain, but these symptoms go away very quickly.

Wolf spiders – Lycosidae

Wolf spiders are a family of araneomorphic spiders that number 2,367 species. The body color is usually gray-brown. The body is covered with small short hairs. Some species reach more than 3 cm (leg span). The wolf spider lives almost everywhere except Antarctica. He prefers rain forests, meadows, hiding under fallen leaves, stones, wood. They don't weave webs. These are earth spiders, so they live in a hole, which is only entwined with cobwebs inside. If this is the private sector, you can easily stumble upon it in the basement. If there is a vegetable garden nearby, he can easily get into your cellar. Active at night. The wolf spider hunts insects or catches those who run near its burrow. This spider is a good jumper. He can jump on the victim, securing himself with a web. Mating occurs in the summer. After mating, the female lays eggs in a cocoon that she wears at the end of her abdomen. After 2-3 weeks, the spiderlings emerge from the cocoon and climb onto their mother’s abdomen. They sit like this until they learn to get their own food. The wolf spider is not dangerous to humans. Its bite is equivalent to a bee sting, which causes itching, swelling and redness, which disappears fairly quickly.

Harvesting spiders – Pholcidae

This family has about 1000 species of spiders. Harvesting spiders have small body and long thin legs. Body size 2-10 mm. The length of the legs reaches 50 mm. Body color is grayish or reddish. Harvesting spiders are ubiquitous. Some species live in people's homes. There they find warm and dry places, mainly near windows. They feed on small insects. These spiders weave large webs in a chaotic manner. The web is not sticky, but when the victim tries to get out of it, it becomes even more entangled. After mating, females lay eggs in a web cocoon, which they attach to the side of the trapping nets. For humans, harvest spiders are absolutely harmless. Their venom is safe, and the bite cannot be felt.

Goliath tarantula - Theraphosa blondi

This giant spider considered the largest in the world. The span of its legs reaches 30 cm. In Venezuela (1965), one of the representatives of this species was listed in the Guinness Book of Records. The span of its legs was 28 cm. It is believed that the leg span of Heteropoda maxima is even longer, up to 35 cm. But this species has a small body and long thin legs. So he is small compared to the massive goliath.
The body of the goliath is light or dark brown, densely covered with short hairs. They live in burrows, the entrance of which is covered with cobwebs. This huge spider lives in the tropical forests of Suriname, Guyana, Venezuela, and northern Brazil. It feeds on various insects, rodents, frogs, lizards and even snakes. The life expectancy of females is 15-25 years, males - 3-6. These spiders are amazing in that they are able to make a hissing sound by rubbing their chelicerae; the ability to shake hairs from the abdomen into the enemy’s face, which cause swelling of the mucous membrane. The goliath tarantula also has large and sharp chelicerae (claws), with which it can bite very painfully. Their venom is not dangerous to humans; the symptoms are the same as after a bee sting.

Runner spider (soldier spider, banana spider, wandering spider) – Phoneutria

The Brazilian spider is the most poisonous spider in the world. The length of its body reaches 15 cm. The body is pubescent, gray-brown in color. It lives in Central and South America. The runner spider feeds on insects, frogs, lizards, and small birds. Lives in burrows, under leaf litter. But very often, secluded places in people’s homes become its home. It is often called banana because it is often found in boxes of bananas. These scary spiders have incredibly toxic venom that causes instant death, which is why they are the most poisonous spiders in the world. Their venom contains the neurotoxin PhTx3, which paralyzes all muscles in the human body, causing suffocation and then death. Only 2-6 hours pass between the bite and death. Old people and children are most exposed to the runner spider's venom. Today there is a vaccine that neutralizes the effect of the poison, so if you are bitten by a spider, you should immediately consult a doctor.

As you can see, representatives of arachnids are so different: some of them are pleasing to the eye, while the sight of others makes the blood freeze in your veins, some can be picked up or kept in your home as a pet, and some sow fear and bring instant death. Now you know which types of spiders are absolutely harmless and which ones you need to stay away from. The good news is that dangerous species Spiders are not found in our area, but mainly in tropical countries. But you never know what can happen... Nature is absolutely unpredictable.

Jumping spiders(Salticidae)

Jumpers are very small spiders. The length of their body is slightly more than half a centimeter. They are painted in dark coffee and gray tones. But, despite their modest size and coloring, the appearance of these spiders is still very interesting. The head section is slightly raised above the chest, in the manner of a periscope, and the eight eyes of the small predator are located in a semicircle, giving the spider an almost 180-degree view. The most remarkable thing is that the spider's two front eyes are much larger in size than the rest. Being in the same frontal plane, they provide the horse with not only the best field of vision, but also allow them to accurately determine the distance to the prey and even catch it in the air.

Some racers acquired other adaptations in the process of evolution. Thus, the males of some species are colored shiny greenish-blue. This flashy outfit allows them to look like representatives of the wasp family. (Chrysididae), namely, on the Russian glitter wasp (Hedychridium rossicum), painted red and green with a metallic tint. By making sharp swings of the pedipalps, imitating the movements of the antennae of wasps, a cunning spider can get close to the wasp unnoticed and with a quick swoop catch this nimble insect that lives together with the jumper on the wall of the barn. Other racers have acquired huge chelicerae, with the bite of which they can kill prey even larger than themselves. But the most interesting thing is some kind of “meaningful” behavior of the horse.

One day, after capturing a male racer, I placed him in a small jar to photograph him for a magazine article. Several bright flashes from my camera blinded the spider exploring the new room. In search of the source of such bright flashes, the spider raised and turned its cephalothorax, looking at me with its two front eyes sparkling in the light of the lamps. Having made sure that my research interest in no way threatened the spider’s life, he calmly continued to survey the territory.

It is easy to observe these spiders in nature. With the appearance of the first morning rays of the sun, these little spiders of the genus Salticus appear on the wall of the woodshed. Having occupied sunlit areas, the spiders bask for an hour or two, periodically turning around and looking around. Males, distinguished from females by a smaller abdomen and pedipalps expanded at the end, protect their territory from the encroachments of competitors. The territory of each male is small - only 30 x 30 cm. And they do not chase aftera great place to eat, because how many flies fly to bask on the sun-drenched wall of the barn!

Females are allowed to move completely calmly through all these areas - spiders do not interfere with women in their “male” affairs. But as soon as the male violates the border of the neighboring estate, the owner of the territory is already in a hurry to meet the uninvited guest. Having stopped a few centimeters from the occupier, the horse raises its front legs and makes threatening passes with its legs. In fact, it’s very similar to the “kung fu master giving lessons to a grateful listener” scene. If the intimidation does not work and the guest does not leave, then the owner makes a pounce, jumping up funny, trying not so much to bite as to scare away the uninvited guest. By the way, because of the ability of these spiders to jump so amusingly, they were called jumpers.

Seeing such a “hot” reception, the intruder quickly touches the surface of the wall with the tip of his abdomen, jumps into the air and, like a paratrooper, with his paws outstretched, descends down on a cobweb thread stretching from the depths of his abdomen. The owner of the territory, having cleaned his eyes with his pedipalps, turns several times around his axis, checking to see if there are any more daredevils who want to encroach on his territory. But instead of other spiders, his shiny eyes stumble upon a fly sitting next to him. Not noticing anything around, the fly indulges in morning toilette, diligently rubbing its large crystal eyes with its front legs, causing its head to twitch so violently that it seems about to fly off its neck. With its pedipalps trembling in anticipation of the hunt, the jumper slowly, in small steps, gets closer and closer to the fly. She had already begun cleaning her wings when the little hunter froze two centimeters from her. The jumper has already grounded the thread of the web, he is ready to jump, but the fly, sensing something is wrong, quickly takes off. At the same moment, the brave spider also makes a jump and grabs its prey in the air. Having grabbed it with its legs, the jumper with the fly falls down, after a moment hanging on its safety web. Swinging from side to side, the spider anchors itself to the wall and drags away its flailing prey.

At the height of summer, male racers begin courtship. Performing courtship that is complex in its intensity and zeal, males resemble athletes doing aerobics interspersed with exercises according to GTO standards. Before demonstrating his main dance, the male in chelicerae brings the female an insect swaddled in a dense cocoon of web. Such a treat is quite justified, because a hungry female can eat the male himself without waiting for the main part of the show.

After the food and dancing, the jumpers mate, and then lay small cocoons in the cracks on the same wall. Soon, small spiders will emerge from the cocoon and hunt next to the adults on the same wall. The babies that appear at the end of July will grow until autumn, but will only reach sexual maturity after overwintering. And then by the end of June next year the dancing will be repeated; and gifts.

In captivity, jumpers take root well, and several individuals can be kept in one insectarium. However, this is possible only after the adaptation of spiders in separate cages has been carried out according to all the rules. As food for adult spiders, I offer crickets and cockroaches during the first to third molt. Uneaten food insects do not need to be removed, since, when the spiders are hungry, they will “hunt” them in the following days. This democratic attitude towards feeding insects, which rejects the usual rule of developing a negative reflex, is apparently due to the fact that in nature spiders live on walls, adjacent to various communities of winged insects. To keep horses alone, I use plastic containers with a volume of 300 to 400 mg, without soil, but with a classic paper corner and a piece of cotton wool, which I moisten as it dries.

Breeding jumping spiders is not difficult; it does not even require placing the spiders together for mating (the breeders are already kept in the same insectarium). But there is still a problem in breeding, namely, I’m talking about how to feed very small young racers emerging from cocoons attached directly to the cage. The juveniles have to feed on springtails and then move on to newborn crickets or psyllids. When raising small racers, it is worth keeping them all together, since selecting small crickets or springtails for each individual pet is incredibly difficult, and moderate cannibalism will help the strongest of the offspring survive. Moreover, the jumping spider is not at all uncommon in nature, and there is no need to raise a large volume of juveniles.

Jumping spiders are not durable. They rarely live in captivity for more than a year, but even within a year these extreme spiders will be able to delight the observer with amazing “fence” dances and aerial hunts.

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